Children in China

Chinese do not begin dating until their early twenties. They usually only date a couple people, sometimes only one, before they choose their mate. Most people do not marry until an average age of 25 to 30 years of age. Children usually live with their parents until they are married. Traditionally, after marriage, the newlyweds would move in with the husband’s family. It is becoming typical for the newlyweds to move into their own apartment after a short honeymoon. By Chinese law, families are only allowed to have one child.

China began enforcing a one-child policy in the early 80's. Couples residing in urban areas were only allowed to have one child. In some rural areas, couples were allowed to have more than one child after a gap of at least four years. Leaders of China have always been trying to slow the population. China is the only country to ever enforce a one-child family policy. Billboards and radio messages tell people that it is patriotic to have fewer children. Families with only one child are given rewards such as higher wages and larger apartments. Disciplinary measures for those who have more than one child can include fines, withholding of social services, demotion, and other punishments that can includ

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The revised Act states the persons who know of child abuse or neglect cases are to notify the police, social welfare, or child welfare authorities. In this case, they also had the same three choices. Abortion is natural or induced removal of a fetus from the womb before it is able to survive by itself. Sometimes if a family's first child is a girl, the family would decide to get rid of it so they can try to have another child, hoping that it will be a boy. Authorities also prohibit and enforce a law against forced child labor. These three choices were adoption, abortion, or infanticide.

The Labor Standards Law states that age 15, after required education is completed, is the minimum working age. Female infanticide is the termination of the pregnancy because of the sex of the baby. This was when the baby was killed after it was born. This rule of education is enforced throughout the country.

Today, the harsh one-child policy is still enforced but not as strictly. In 1993, the Child Welfare Act was revised. 5 percent of pregnancies terminated in the hospital were female fetuses. Fines for not abiding by the one child policy can vary depending on where you live.

Adoption is when the family gives the second child, or the unwanted child, to an orphanage.

Approximate Word count = 854
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

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